The birthday of the church, Pentecost Sunday, commemorates the events of Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit fell upon the followers of Jesus, Peter preached, and three thousand people were saved! This year, the celebration falls on Sunday, May 24.

It is noteworthy that the events of Acts 2 actually occurred on the Jewish Feast of Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks), which begins this year on May 22 at sundown.Pentecost literally means “fiftieth” in the Greek, a term used in the Septuagint that became a common reference for both Jewish and early Christian communities.

When God instituted Shavuot in Leviticus 23:17, He commanded worship to include the firstfruits: “You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves… they are the firstfruits to the Lord.” While originally associated with a physical harvest, Acts 2 reveals a spiritual one—a harvest of 3,000 souls.

The Greek word for firstfruits, aparche, appears nine times in the New Testament:

• Romans 8:23: Believers have the “firstfruits of the Spirit.”
• James 1:18: We are “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:22-23: The resurrected Jesus is called the firstfruits.

Just as the firstfruits were a guarantee for the fuller harvest to come, the resurrection of Jesus guarantees that we who have received Him will likewise be resurrected. May we rejoice in this promise and share this glorious hope with those who have yet to trust in Christ!

This reflection originally appeared in this month’s Larry Stamm Ministries Ministry Minute. To stay up to date in real-time, you can view the full May edition here and you can also subscribe here.